Recent Progress in Self-Healing Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Artificial Skins

Abstract

Self-healing triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which incorporate self-healing materials capable of recovering their structural and functional properties after damage, are transforming the field of artificial skin by effectively addressing challenges associated with mechanical damage and functional degradation. This review explores the latest advancements in self-healing TENGs, emphasizing material innovations, structural designs, and practical applications. Key materials include dynamic covalent polymers, supramolecular elastomers, and ion-conductive hydrogels, which provide rapid damage recovery, superior mechanical strength, and stable electrical performance. Innovative structural configurations, such as layered and encapsulated designs, optimize triboelectric efficiency and enhance environmental adaptability. Applications span healthcare, human-machine interfaces, and wearable electronics, demonstrating the immense potential for tactile sensing and energy harvesting. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in scalability, long-term durability, and multifunctional integration. Future research should focus on advanced material development, scalable fabrication, and intelligent system integration to unlock the full potential of self-healing TENGs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current achievements and future directions, underscoring the pivotal role of self-healing TENGs in artificial skin technology.

Keywords: artificial skin; human–machine interface; self-healing; tactile sensing; triboelectric nanogenerator.

Figure 1

Recent advancements in self-healing TENGs for artificial skin applications. The focus is on innovations in self-healing materials, structural designs, and configurations that enhance performance, durability, and integration with flexible substrates. Practical applications of self-healing TENGs are presented, including their use in robotics, motion detection, human–machine interaction, tactile sensing, and healthcare. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [54]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [55]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [56]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [57] Copyright 2023, American Chemical Society. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [58] Copyright 2022, Elsevier. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [59]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [60] Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [61] Copyright 2024, Elsevier. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [62]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier.

Figure 2

Preparation of self-healing polymers for TENGs. (a) Synthesis pathway of PLMBE. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [63]. Copyright 2023, Wiley. (b) Room-temperature self-healing nanogenerator enabled by a fast-reversible dual-dynamic network. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [64]. Copyright 2023, American Chemical Society. (c) Schematic diagram and preparation process of the hydrogel. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [65]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier. (d) TENGs based on synthesized linear organosilicon-modified polyurethane. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [66]. Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society. (e) Design of PMBEug-OH-V and PMBEug-OH-PANI polymers. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [67]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier.

Figure 3

Synthesis of self-healing hydrogel materials in TENGs. (a) CNF-FeCl₃ hydrogel synthesized from PVA. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [68]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. (b) Schematic illustration of AVN hydrogel. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [69]. Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society. (c) Preparation process and crosslinking mechanism of MPP–hydrogel. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [70]. Copyright 2022, Wiley. (d) SEM and TEM images of MXene. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [28]. Copyright 2023, American Chemical Society. (e) Design strategy schematic of PVA/P(AM-co-AA)-Fe³⁺ (DN) hydrogel. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [71]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier.

Figure 4

Nanocomposite materials applied to self-healing TENGs. (a) Preparation and performance analysis of PVA hydrogels. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [72]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (b) Synthesis process and optimization of MAGP hydrogels. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [73]. Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society. (c) Design and application of PCOBE collagen-based organic hydrogels. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [48]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier. (d) Experimental advancements in MSSS fibers. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [74]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (e) Fabrication methods and performance evaluation of PSSC hydrogels. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [75]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier.

Figure 5

Layered and encapsulated structures of self-healing TENGs for artificial skin applications. (a) An energy harvester fabricated using an NBR/MXene/NBR film. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [50]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (b) Schematic representation of the preparation process of PPMP conductive hydrogel. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [76]. Copyright 2024, AIP. (c) Schematic of a sandwich-structured single-electrode TENG. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [77]. Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society. (d) Fabrication and demonstration of a TENG device based on SDDE. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [78]. Copyright 2022, Wiley. (e) Schematic of a sandwich-structured self-powered sensor composed of hydrogen-bond-based SH-PUrea and AgNW. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [79]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier.

Figure 6

Applications of self-healing TENGs based on surface microstructures and porous design in electronic skin. (a) Tunable SMPU microarchitectures on the TENG surface achieved through electrospinning. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [80]. Copyright 2019, Elsevier. (b) Micro-patterned design of EV film as a triboelectric material. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [81]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier. (c) Structural design of F-TENG incorporating CNT molecules. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [82]. Copyright 2021, Springer Nature. (d) Hierarchically wrinkled triboelectric PA6 films. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [83]. Copyright 2019, Elsevier. (e) Development of ZnO NWs/H-PDMS hierarchical wrinkled structures inspired by human skin. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [84]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier.

Figure 7

Applications of self-healing TENGs in healthcare and tactile sensing devices. (a) Schematic illustration of the fabrication and application of a self-powered tactile sensing array (SPTSA). Reprinted with permission from Ref. [85]. Copyright 2023, Elsevier. (b) Applications of TENG devices based on CS-glycerol composites. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [54]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. (c) Tactile sensors based on PFL@WFCF-TENG for human–machine interface (HMI) scenarios. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [55]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier. (d) IoT-assisted devices based on PC-TENG technology. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [86]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. (e) Ultra-sensitive triboelectric tactile sensors applied in human pulse monitoring. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [56]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier.

Figure 8

Self-healing TENG applied in human–machine interaction scenarios. (a) Multi-channel sensing of HPC-TENG in various scenarios. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [57]. Copyright 2023, American Chemical Society. (b) Structural and multifunctional schematic of ILC-TENG. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [87]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (c) Application of human–machine interface sensors based on CCA-TENG. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [58]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (d) BA-TENG used in various HMI scenarios. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [88]. Copyright 2021, Elsevier. (e) Self-powered VLC system driven by PZ-TENG. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [59]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier.

Figure 9

Applications of self-healing TENGs in robotics and motion detection. (a) MF-TENGs worn on multiple joints as motion detection devices. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [89]. Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society. (b) SFTS patches for robotic motion control. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [60]. Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society. (c) Snail-inspired bionic TENG-robot. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [90]. Copyright 2022, Elsevier. (d) Smart violation detection system based on TENG sensors. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [61]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier. (e) Robotic hand with triboelectric sensing arrays for material type recognition. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [62]. Copyright 2024, Elsevier.